Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) blooms with clusters of fragrant pink and white flowers that provide valuable nectar for pollinators and serve as a host plant for Monarch butterfly caterpillars. Photo taken on June 3, 2026, at Raising Nebraska in Grand Island, Nebraska.
Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) is a native perennial wildflower found throughout much of the western and central United States, including portions of Nebraska. Growing 3 to 5 feet tall, it produces large, rounded clusters of fragrant pink and white flowers from late spring through summer. Like other milkweeds, it is an essential host plant for Monarch butterflies, providing the only food source for Monarch caterpillars. The flowers also attract a wide variety of native bees, butterflies, moths, and other pollinating insects.